Sunday, April 16, 2017

Our Easter Celebration - Good Friday to Easter Sunday

I was exceptionally excited about Good Friday this year.
A long time Blog Friend was coming to see us.


Meet our friend, Donna!
 She has followed mine and Amber's blogs for over 5 years now and offered countless words of encouragement as well as prayers during that time. She is known as the Quads' 'Cyber Grandma' and she met us ALL for the first time in person - although our hearts have been joined in love and appreciation long ago! As soon as I opened the front door, we hugged and I squealed and then it was like old friends meeting up - just as it should be.
We were sipping tea in the gazebo when Summer, Sabrina and Rayne arrived.


Granddad was all smiles in this photo!!


Look what they brought to me!
They even gave me a beautiful pot to put them in and I am planning on potting it and putting them right by the kitchen French doors where they will get plenty of sun.


Look who else came!
Granddog Sunshine!
This pretty girl will be traveling to Puerto Rico soon - flying first class, no less!
She's a really good dog!


I was glad Rayne arrived first since I had a painting project for her to do.


She did a great job with her t shirt and I love the way she painted in the sky, leaving the clouds white!

It wasn't too long before Amber, Mike and the quads arrived!


Amber said she felt all the wonderful emotions this Easter weekend.
She has long wanted to meet Donna, and now that she had, she actually teared up!


She brought her a few things to remember the visit but I feel sure Donna will remember meeting the very ones she's meant so much to since before they were born and while Amber was still carrying them.


I don't know why we didn't go out to the den which is bigger - but we stayed clustered in the living room chatting away until I remembered I needed to do a few things to get the meal on the table.


While the adults visited, the kids all occupied themselves with coloring book markers.


Aunt Summer is a favorite and each child ended up sitting by her and giving her some extra attention!


Just look at those smiles!!


I had the beverage table set up and the food was lined up buffet style.


I must thank Summer, Sabrina, and Amber for sharing their photos with me so I could do this post.
ALL my pics - except the ones Sabrina took with my camera - were blurry.
I am so NOT a good photographer!

The children had their own table and  set up as elegantly as I could.
They sipped their iced tea in little cups with saucers.


"Ain't it kind of funny what the children say?"


I used my good silver and they each had small butter knives to put their butter on the rolls all by themselves. Plus I had a small pitcher with extra tea for them to pour themselves.


All too soon, Donna's family arrived to pick her up and whisk her off to Fort Worth where they were attending a family wedding. Donna is a rather private person so I won't go on and on about her as I am given to do. What an honor to have her here in our home and we all enjoyed all our time together!!

You KNOW how the kids love to shout out their goodbyes!!


And that's what they did!
Saying goodbye to Donna aka their Cyber Grandma!!!


Time for the Easter Egg Hunt!



They had a ball!


(You might want to turn your sound down as my cackle laugh is pretty loud!)
Mike has got my laugh down along with my hands waving and can do a pretty good imitation of it!
I should video THAT someday!!

Easter Egg Hunt - color coded for each child!
Win! WIN!!


The confetti eggs were a BIG hit! Literally!!



Hard EGG or hard HEAD???



Trystan got me!!!


She was so proud of herself!!!


Then Kailey got me!!!


Logan got her mama!


It was a load of fun!!!
Thank you, Sabrina and Summer, for bringing them along with the other color coded eggs for the hunt!


We all had so much fun!
I laughed until my face hurt! Really!!!


Even Sunshine was confetti ed!!!


It was a wonderful day.
 I loved seeing Amber and Mike able to relax together while the kids played.


Rayne was such a cutie. I love this photo of her.


Harrison is such a sweet boy!


It was a really good day with everyone having a good time.

Where was Louis Dean while we were all doing these fun and games?


He was a Grumpy Granddad.....in actuality, he didn't feel very well.
Not really sick - just a little under the weather.
We partied on and he was a good sport and kept his grumpies mostly to himself!

My sons were invited but both of them had to work and then had other responsibilities so they couldn't make it. They were missed.

After everyone was gone, the house felt so empty after all the laughter and talk and noise.
We cleaned up and went to bed.

Saturday was a rest and recover day for me.
I stayed in the bedroom until after 4:00 and was in bed for the night by 8:00.
I was tired.

However, I had my heart set on making my traditional Easter Bread.


I dyed the eggs and Louis Dean made the dough.


I must say they turned out better than I have ever made them before.
I forgot to get a photo of them after they were baked but they are good!!


I have been making this for years!
Louis Dean and I ate one this morning for breakfast with our coffee before we dressed for church.
I woke up feeling 'normal' again! I did not want to miss Easter Sunday Services!
We attended the 10:30 service and walked through the door at 10:27!!
ON TIME!!!


After church, the quads always search for Pastor Doug so they can give him a big hug and ask how he's doing.


They were checking out his - what do you call it? I can't think of the word but it's the long collar.


Granddad felt better today!
Especially after Amber invited over for Easter dinner!
He doesn't like pasta very much and Amber cooks it quite often.
He accepted the invitation and then asked me - what pasta dish is she making today??
HA!!! She knows him well and served up herb buttered chicken, roasted vegetables, fresh cantaloupe, strawberries and pineapple.


Granddad and Harrison watched a little Texas TV while we busied ourselves in the kitchen!


Amber's Easter Dinner.
I took this picture myself with my purple camera and I held very still and took my time.

I would like to thank my friends: Vee, Kathy, Sandra and others who have taught me how to do the You Tube videos. It made doing this post go so much faster!!

Well, that closes out our Easter Weekend and I will be looking forward to visiting all my friends in the World of Blog to share in the joys of YOUR celebrations.

10 comments:

  1. It is always so very exciting to meet our blog friends for the very first time! And it usually turns out that it is like meeting an old friend we have known forever! I am so glad you got to meet! It is so cute seeing the video of the Quads at their own table, just all talking like adults do at dinner. I have not heard of the confetti eggs! Trystan is just adorable here!! And even Sunshine got confetti on him, and seems happy about it! Your Easter Bread looks beautiful, even raw! What a huge happy family Easter! I will be posting ours on Monday night!

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  2. Oh happy times! How good to meet a long time blogging buddy. You know, that's the way she becomes real. 😊

    I enjoyed seeing the confetti eggs get cracked over and even on some heads. Poor Summer!

    Is it Quad Monday or a rest day?

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  3. the bread with eggs in it is new to me, it looks pretty and I bet the bread is really good. you had such a wonderful Easter, all those memoires made, love the vid of the kid table.. glad you got to meet Donna and she got to enjoy your family

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  4. What fun and so many memories made over the weekend. That bread looks like it could go on the cover of a magazine Linda.

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  5. I'm so glad you and Amber finally met the Cyber Grandma . What a special relationship to have . Good Friday at the Chapmans looked like a wonderful fun filled day . I loved hearing the laughter and seeing Trystan confetti egg you. Summer & Sabrina always come up the the best ideas.

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  6. Indeed a blessed Easter for you. Meeting up with your blogger friend, having family over to spend time together and having great fun with the confetti. Pretty Easter bread with coloured eggs!

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  7. Linda, You raised beautiful children. I love watching the videos of the children and their parents. So sorry LD was not up to par for all the giggles and eggs. The children love you both to pieces. Blessings to all. xoxo,love, Susie

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  8. Loved seeing your fun celebration and hearing all the wonderful laughter and seeing those smiles!

    Glad you and Louis Dean were recovered for Easter Day and that you had a special time in Quadville!

    Its a joy to meet online friends, isn't it?

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  9. No one could have had a more blessed Easter. I loved seeing all the pictures, and the love that was shared. Given and received...how wonderful. Love you.

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  10. Your Easter bread is so fabulous! I could never manage that! Cheers

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